Help Me Find Grandpa's B-Series Log Truck

[elksheds]

Hello All,

I will try to keep it short and sweet:

I am from Kalispell, MT. Back in the 1950's, my Grandpa drove a log truck for the F K & L Mill here in the Flathead, Martin City, MT to be exact. I have a picture of the truck, and have a dream of locating it and bringing it back to life. Before I even try, I need to verify the model though. For a long time, I though it was a 1955 B61ST, but am now thinking it may be a B71ST. I was hoping to get help verifying this (If I can get the picture uploaded). What would even help more if if someone said, "I know that truck!"...... I am new to forums in general, but hopefully this will be the beginning to locating this truck. Thank you very much, and let me know what you guys (and gals) think!

Brady Gibbons

Truck belonged to Duane Byrd in the late 1950's in Martin City Montana. Duane died in 1962, so it obviously cannot be any newer than that. He had a Peterbuilt when he passed, as the Thermodyne did too well at keeping him broke, haha!

[Superdog]

That's a B61,a B71 had an extended radiator shell. I have a B73 dump truck that came from Kalispell. It belonged to Sydney Torgeson, if I remember right

[elksheds]

Thanks Superdog! Thats funny, I know of that family. There are several Mack B Series trucks I am aware of around here, just have not proven that they are it yet...

[mrsmackpaul]

do you have a rego number someone maybe able to work backwards and find out chassis number ect and if you can do that well you are proberly half way there to finding it

if you can get the chassis number maybe the Mack museum can help by telling you the motor trans ect

I can tell you the back end is 44000 lbs

they look like 22 or maybe 24 inch rims and you say its a thermodyne all this stuff helps to narrow the search window

good luck like the picture a piece of family history there if you have any other pictures chuck them up plenty of blokes much smarter than me on here will be able to tell a lot more than I can

Paul

[Superdog]

Here it is. I bought it from a guy in Illinois several years ago. I can't remember how he said he ended up with it. Still had the MT title in Torgerson's name when I got it. it wasn't signed off right and I had a little trouble getting a title in my name,but finally got it done.

[gearhead204]

Brady: good luck with the search! how's things at flat head lake? my global gap inspector (food safety auditor) was headed to your neck of the woods when he finished with me last Friday, to audit cherry growers for Monson fruit in( Selah Washington) some of the flathead growers send fruit to the same warehouse that I do.and part of my labor crew go there to harvest cherry's once they finish with me. Hope you chase down the truck .......... oh and by the way welcome to the dog house! there's a bunch of great guys here and if that trucks still out there I'm sure that a bunch of eyes will be looking for it! As quite a few of us look for family trucks and try to help them find there old homes!

[85snowdog]

I hope you find your Grandpa's truck.

Keith

[HarryS]

Welcome and here's hoping you find it. Maybe your motor vehicle division has old records, most of the more populated areas don't, but just a shot.

[Bobby j]

Welcome......good luck on your search......as they said if it's out there it can be found.......Bobby j.

[Maddog13407]

that's a 53-55 B model. more than likely 53-54. it doesn't have fuel tank straps. the really early ones the tank was actually welded to the brackets and the tanks were checkerboard and not diamond plate. it also has bracket for the early 53-55 ' bicycle mirror' on the cowl.

[michael c]

I know where ine is identical even the same color same wheel base heavy rears floating axles except it is a b71 same style radiator style as the dump but identical to the log truck Indiana been trying g to get the guy to let go of it